Our views and articles
Optimum Fleet Profiling |
A modern view on a traditional topic... by Stephen Weir
Fleet profiling in 2009 is far more than simply the assessment of the number, location and type of vehicles required by the distribution profile i.e. location of depots (pick up points), delivery points and volumes. Many companies have already discovered the benefits of scheduling their transport using optimising software, Fleet profiling goes... [Read more] |
Sales and Operations Planning |
"Don't we already do that?"
When organisations are asked if they operate a "Sales and Operations Planning" process, these are often the initial responses.
When asked, "Do you operate a process owned by the Chief Executive, operating on a monthly cycle, balancing the Demand and Supply of the major produc... [Read more] |
No Hiding Place |
It is interesting how few food manufacturers have a hard measure of the profits they really make from individual customers. An ambient food manufacturer has just installed a customer account profitability (CAP) process. His learning from CAP has already led to changes in the way he invests in account development and the targeting of future promotional spend.
His first achievement was to unbundle the way that 'overhe... [Read more] |
Transparency is the key to happiness |
I recently came across a bad example of a warehouse draft contract, which failed the two basic rules of 'fit for purpose' for relationships where the user occupies the bulk of the space in a shed.Those tests are 'mutual transparency' and 'mutual fairness'.
The deal gave the user a totally variable charge based on usage of space and labour. The third party logistics provider (3PL) had sought a minimum ... [Read more] |
Beware those inflexible contracts |
I had a call the other day to be a 'marriage guidance' counsellor for a third party logistics provider (3PL) and a customer who had fallen out over rising contract costs. The moral of the story? If you don't protect contractual relationships against changes in customer demand you could be in trouble.
The contract was a bog standard 'cost plus incentivised management fee'. But picking costs were rising as labour prod... [Read more] |
The True Cost of our Journeys |
It's roughly 1,000 miles from Northern Spain to the UK Midlands by road. That journey has a current commercial cost of around 70p per case for double stacked pallets of average-sized cases. 'So what?' you may ask. 'It must be fresh produce that can stand the cost.' Well it isn't. It's a standard, branded, ambient grocery item. The corporation that sells and markets it, needed to satisfy demand in the UK and Spain. Read more] |
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